Tell us about what you're doing with your life
I am a venture consultant part-time at The Launch Pad, the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Miami since 2020. I advise current students, alumni, faculty, and staff that run businesses or want to launch new ventures. Prior to that I launched and led the Broward College Incubator in Fort Lauderdale and had a blast running seven 30-week cohorts of a startup accelerator program from 2012 through 2019. That was the last full-time job I had, so I chose lifestyle and spending time with my family over commute, and I’m never looking back.
I am a board member and COO/CFO of a fall prevention company in Plantation, FL. We are in the process of scaling nationwide and have already opened 4 offices in Florida. I also dabble in other startups, one of which I am co-founder of, targeting young Hispanic moms with kids under 11, with a brand promise of wholesome content all the time.
What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
After completing my Chemical Engineering degree (’84), I stayed another year to pursue my Master of Chemical Engineering (’85). When I look back, I have to admit that the Process Control class my last semester (Spring ’84) and the Numerical Methods in the Master’s first semester have proven to be some of the most useful classes I took. In the lowest level practical sense, they proved useful because in my first job as a Process Engineer for Abbott Labs I ended up configuring and coding all the software to automate the then largest Erythromycin fermentation plant in the world. These were the early days of digital controllers and processors, and the cutting edge of technology at the time. I used to marvel at the MicroVax mainframe that stored all data our controllers captured, because it had two 512MB drives, which sounded like a clothes dryer sounds as I booted them.
In a higher-level sense, these classes continued to prove useful because coupled with that first experience, I gained insight into how dynamic processes can be modeled not only for the purpose of attempting to control them, but also to be able to forecast and predict future metrics. This again proved extremely useful during my 15-year Finance career at Hewlett Packard (after my MBA), where I fine-tuned my forecasting and modeling skills. Years later as I became embedded in the South Florida startup ecosystem, these analytical, decision making, and software development skills have helped me navigate all kinds of scenarios in different industries.
What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
One of my favorite early memories may be traying down the library slope my freshman year. Growing up in Puerto Rico, I had never seen snow. One of my friends was a shift manager as a work-study student for Cornell dining at Willard Straight Hall, so he would sneak out the large trays, the ones they used to carry the desserts (those thick glass Jello cups..). We were kings of the hill with those big trays.
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Since moving to Miami 1995, John Toohey-Morales has been the classmate I’ve been in most touch with. We launched a venture together in 1991 and were business partners for decades and enjoyed and continue to enjoy at least one Marlins game per season. I also see Janet Perales on and off when we coincide socially.
What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Time is the currency you can never accumulate or get back once it has passed. Don’t waste time. Don’t complain about the small things. If you feel like complaining about the big things, fix yourself before you attempt to fix them.
How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
My time at Cornell made me highly resourceful and self-reliant. I must admit that the academics were hard, and I really had to put my nose to the grinder while I was there, and on top of that take care of everything else going on in life. It was sink or swim for a while, especially the first couple of years. I am thankful for all the good times, as well as all the hardships.
What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It is a special distinction that has opened many doors, but more importantly it has given me a deep sense of accomplishment and imprinted in me the urgent need to be continuously learning.
What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2024?
I’m looking forward to reconnecting with long lost classmates, and to doing a lot of walking.